The Nanny
by ThatRavenclawBitch
Summary: After Belle and Rumple split up, yet again, Belle is in the market for a new nanny. Rumple takes it upon himself to fill the role. Mrs. Doubtfire/Mary Poppins AU. Takes place post season 5.
1. Chapter 1

Rumplestiltskin grabbed the flier off the notice board outside city hall and glared at it as though it had personally offended him.

In all honesty, it had offended him. The innocuous piece of white printer paper emblazoned with words in a cheery font that made his stomach curdle. Below the flier's message were several tabs with Belle's cell phone number printed on each. Rumple was further annoyed to see that a few of the tabs were already missing. How long had the flier been up?

He crumpled it in his hand, turning on his heel and stalking toward the library. The door blew open before him, his magic swirling like a tempest as his anger grew during his trek across town.

"Rumple," Belle said without even looking up from the computer at the circulation desk. She was used to her soon to be ex-husband's outbursts. "What can I do for you today?"

"What is the meaning of this?" he growled, slapping the wrinkled flier down on the desk in front of Belle.

She spared a glance to the paper, rolling her eyes slightly before returning to whatever she was doing on the ancient library computer.

"I wish you wouldn't have taken it down," she sighed. "I could only print out a handful."

"You're hiring a nanny?" Rumple demanded, slapping his hand against the paper again. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"I didn't think it was important," she said with a shrug.

"You're soliciting applications for some stranger to watch our child 5 days a week and you didn't think it was important enough to consult me?" he exclaimed. "As much as I know you wish otherwise, dear, Lucy is still my daughter."

"Rumple, I don't…" Belle trailed off with a shake of her head. "It's not a big deal. I just need someone to watch her for a couple hours in the evenings while I'm switching the library's reference system to digital. It's taking a fair few more man-hours than I originally anticipated and it's made for some late nights."

Rumple clenched his hand, reigning in his temper. He wasn't angry with Belle, not really. He was never truly angry with Belle. He was angry with himself. It was his fault they were in this situation in the first place. It was his fault that Belle no longer lived with him in their home. It was his fault that she had taken Lucy and moved back to her apartment above the library.

Everything was his fault.

Knowing that didn't make any of this any easier.

"Did you think that perhaps I could watch her on the evenings you have to work late?" he posited, trying to relax his clenched jaw.

An uneasy look stole across Belle's face.

"We've talked about this," she said with a sigh, finally standing up from her place behind the circulation desk.

"You've talked about it at me," he snarked. "There's a difference."

"Look, I'm working through things with Archie," she said, crossing her arms against her chest defensively. "But for now, I just can't. I really hope we can have joint custody one day, but for now it's just visitation. I can't let you take her."

"It's not enough," he growled.

"I agree," Belle said, surprising him. "I want Lucy to spend time with you as much as you do. I would never want to keep you two apart."

"Then why are you?" he asked through clenched teeth. "You can't honestly think I would hurt her."

"No," Belle agreed. "I know you would never do anything to intentionally endanger our daughter, but as long as you use dark magic, I don't trust that she's safe with you. Magic has consequences, Rumple. It always comes with a price, you taught me that. I won't let that price be our child. Not again."

He'd heard similar words from Belle before, but they still stung. He stepped back from the desk, turning his head so she wouldn't see the hurt he was sure was etched across his face. Belle, his own wife no matter that she was sure to take care of that discrepancy any day now, didn't trust him with their child.

"I miss her," he said softly, still not able to look at Belle.

"I know," she replied. A moment later he felt Belle's small hand clasp around his. It was the first time she'd touched him in weeks and he tried not to flinch at the contact. He didn't want to do anything that would make her take her hand away. That small contact would have to be enough to sustain him for weeks or even months ahead.

"This isn't easy for me either," she said with a shake of her head, her hand squeezing his briefly. "I wish…I wish things were different. But Lucy comes first for me."

His anger had burned off leaving him tired. His magic sustained him, gave him little need for sleep, but lately he felt as ancient as his years. All Rumple wanted to do was go home, drown his sorrows in a whisky bottle and sleep until the sun came up and he started the same drudgery of a life all over again.

"Of course she does," he acknowledged. "Your safety and that of our daughter are my primary concern as well."

"I know that," Belle said, squeezing his hand again before letting it drop. He felt bereft at the loss of contact, his hand reaching out to follow her of its own accord as she stepped away. "I know you love us, Rumple."

But that's not enough. Her unspoken words hung in the air between them.

Rumple closed his eyes against her words as though he could shut them out. He loved Belle and he knew part of her still loved him. It didn't mean they would ever be happy together.

For a brief time, after he'd managed to wake Belle from her self imposed sleeping curse, it looked like they might actually make things work long term. They'd been together throughout the rest of her pregnancy. When they returned to Storybrooke they were quickly dragged into a battle of wills with Mr. Hyde and his very unforeseen accomplice the Evil Queen. Lucy had been born in the midst of all the chaos, but Rumple had been there by Belle's side. Despite there never being a dull moment in Storybrooke, the first few weeks of Lucy's life were some of the best of Rumple's life. But it was only a matter of time until things began to crumble.

He could never fully protect his family, no matter how much power he had. Lucy had been kidnapped at just 6 weeks old. Hyde had seen her as a weakness, one he could exploit to bend Rumple to his will. He'd threatened her, forced Rumple to do his bidding. Meanwhile Belle had been distraught and every crack and mar in their mended relationship had split open yet again.

Rumple had eventually been able to save Lucy and destroy Hyde. Things slowed back down and they tried to go on as though things were normal. But things between them had never been normal and they certainly weren't now. Belle was having anxiety over Lucy, hardly letting the baby out of her sight. On top of that she was still feeling guilt over what had happened to Gaston in the Underworld. Rumple had urged her to talk to Archie to work through those issues though he was loath to extend the same courtesy to himself. It was through her therapy sessions that Belle came to several realizations about herself, one of which was that she hadn't truly forgiven Rumple for the events prior to his banishment and Lucy's kidnapping had just exacerbated that. No matter how hard she tried, she was still having trouble completely trusting him and that now extended to their daughter as well. As long as Rumple had his dark magic, Belle felt as though there were a third person in the relationship and he couldn't fully commit to their family.

Archie suggested time apart for the two of them to examine what they really wanted, and Rumple had reluctantly agreed. He wanted Belle to feel better, to be herself again. But part of him knew that they wouldn't survive yet another separation. When Belle moved out of their home and into the library apartment again, he knew she wouldn't be returning this time.

That was five months ago and so far, his prediction was correct. Belle showed no sign of giving their marriage another shot and now he was being left out of decisions about his daughter's welfare.

Belle had moved on.

"May I at least have some say in the hiring process?" he asked, steering the conversation back to the matter at hand and away from more sensitive territory.

"Sure," Belle nodded looking slightly surprised. "I'm collecting a few résumés. I'll send you copies of the ones I think look promising."

"Thank you," he said, with a brief nod of his head. "Good evening Belle. Please tell Lucy that her Papa loves her."

"Of course," Belle agreed.

The stiff formality between them felt so wrong. It was only a short time ago he'd have pulled her into his arms, kissed her, they would have gone home to their daughter together. They had been happy for a brief flickering moment. They had been a real family just as he'd always dreamed. And now here they were speaking stiffly to each other with several feet of space between them. And Rumplestiltskin would be going home to his empty house alone.

* * *

Belle was good as her word and the following day she stopped by with a stack of résumés for potential nannies. Rumple leafed through them after she left finding something wrong with every one of the candidates. One was a former princess he'd made a bad deal with. One was the wife of a butcher he'd turned into a pig. And one had come from the Land of Untold Stories in the company of Hyde.

No matter how much childcare experience they had among them, Rumple didn't trust them. Any one of these women could be out for vengeance against him through his daughter. The princess had been reduced to rags after her deal with Rumple in the Enchanted Forest. The butcher's wife might still be miffed about the pig incident. And after he'd personally destroyed Mr. Hyde, who knew what someone from his realm would have against Rumple.

He tossed the resumes into the trash bin and heaved a sigh. There wasn't a soul in town he'd trust his child to. He knew Granny Lucas looked after Lucy on occasion, and he supposed the old woman's love for Belle and Lucy outweighed her dislike of him. But she was the rare exception. Snow and Charming would probably dart off on an adventure and leave Lucy behind with Granny anyway. Emma would no doubt hand Lucy off to the pirate, something he'd rather die than see happen. And Henry was little more than a child himself.

He ran his fingers through his hair, thinking over the predicament. This would all be so much easier if Belle would just allow him to watch Lucy while she was at work in the evenings. He could close the pawnshop whenever he wanted. He had no other pressing engagements. And wouldn't it be better for Lucy to spend time with her father rather than a complete stranger? He was the only person he could truly trust with his daughter outside of Belle.

That's when the solution came to him with stunning clarity.

He would be Lucy's nanny. He had magic at his very fingertips, what was the use of that magic if not to ensure his daughter's safety?

He felt a momentary glimmer of guilt for deceiving Belle in something yet again. If she ever found out she would be livid. But perhaps he could show her that he was no danger to Lucy. That he could and would take care of her perfectly well. He'd raised a son before, after all, he thought with the familiar pang of heartache that came with any thoughts of Bae. Of course within a year of becoming the Dark One he had lost him.

And that was the root of all their problems. Belle didn't trust the Dark One, not after everything that had happened during the Snow Queen's reign of terror, not after Rumple took the curse back willingly, and certainly not after Hyde had used his own power against them. But Rumple was the Dark One. There was no separating the two in his mind. Belle's rejection of one part of him equaled the rejection of all of him.

His mind made up, Rumple made his way to the bathroom, standing before the mirror over the sink. He avoided mirrors for the most part. He didn't particularly like looking at his face, although he appreciated the bits of it he saw in Lucy. She had his eye color, rather than the crystal blue of her mother's. There was a sharpness to her nose that she got from him as well, but the features were softened by the beauty she'd inherited from her mother. She was a definite improvement on him.

He concentrated on his face, letting the glamour take over. It was easy enough to glamour himself into someone he knew, but creating a face from scratch was quite a bit harder. He couldn't be anyone Belle had ever seen before.

He concentrated, morphing his features into his appearance from the Enchanted Forest, letting the green-gold scales encroach, the yellow eyes, his hair curling up closer to his scalp. He let out an impish giggle for old time's sake. What would Belle do if he showed up on her doorstep like this and claimed her first born, he wondered?

She'd once confided in him in the dark of night as they lay entwined in each other's arms that she rather liked his appearance back in the Dark Castle. She had been particularly fond of his leather pants. Completely ridiculous of course that his strange little beauty would have been taken with him at his most beastly and reject him now.

He gave a shake of his head, letting the glamour fade to be replaced by his usual appearance.

He'd have to be a woman, he thought, analyzing his features and willing them to soften into something more feminine. He needed to be someone maternal, someone Belle would trust, and someone Belle would definitely not think was her estranged husband in disguise. He had to become someone completely different, so a woman he would be.

His first attempt came out looking far too much like Granny, complete with steel grey bun and spectacles. He needed something slightly more youthful and energetic to take care of an almost one year old.

He focused, willing his hair to darken from the grey. He gave it a little curl, changed the color of his eyes slightly and looked again.

He looked rather like his own twin sister.

He heaved a sigh, rolling his shoulders. This was ridiculous. Belle would immediately see through his ruse and she'd be so angry he'd be lucky to ever see his daughter again.

That's when something caught his eye, a book on the nightstand next to what had once been Belle's side of the bed. A remnant left over from when they were still playing at happy family. He hadn't had the stomach to move anything from where she'd left it, several of her blouses still hanging in the closet and books still scattered everywhere. She hadn't asked for them or come for them and some ridiculously hopeful part of Rumple's heart had taken it as a sign that maybe, one day, she'd return. The reminders had been a torment. With little pieces of Belle still scattered around the house he'd been able to pretend she was still there only for it to come crashing down when the stark reminder that she was gone from his life presented itself. More than once he'd thought about packing the lot of it up and dropping it at the library doorstep to end the torture for good. But now he was glad for his sentimental heart.

Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers.

There were countless new citizens of Storybrooke running around, imports from the Land of Untold Stories. Who was to say Mary Poppins wasn't among their ranks?

Rumple turned back to the mirror.


	2. Chapter 2

Belle heaved a sigh, leaning back in her desk chair and shutting her eyes. She'd just seen the fourth candidate for the nanny position and not one of them had been remotely right for the job.

She was interviewing candidates in her office at the library while Lucy took her afternoon nap. Her daughter was a heavy sleeper, and she liked having her there with her, snoring lightly in her pack and play wedged into the corner.

Perhaps she was too particular, too stringent in her demands. But Lucy was her only child. She wouldn't leave her to the care of just anyone.

On top of that, Lucy was the daughter of Rumplestiltskin. She couldn't begin to imagine the number of people in town who might want revenge on her husband, and would seek to exact it through her child. After the ordeal with Hades, and then with Hyde, she thought she'd earned the right to be a bit overprotective.

On the other hand, Lucy being the daughter of Rumplestiltskin unnerved some people. One of the applicants had straight out asked Belle, in a hushed whisper, if Lucy were "like him, y'know evil", the fear evident on her face. Belle had abruptly shown her the door.

Belle groaned, laying her head down against her desk. It was entirely possible she would never find anyone suitable to watch Lucy. Her daughter was beautiful and sweet and loving, but all anyone saw when they looked at her was either a bargaining chip or someone to be feared. No one would ever see her for who she was, just Lucy Gold a perfectly normal little girl. They would judge her on her parentage before they even knew her.

Maybe she was being too hard on Rumple. Perhaps she should just let him take Lucy in the afternoons. She knew Lucy adored her father and she knew they deserved to spend more time together. But her trust in Rumple was so shattered. If she was ever going to learn to trust him again, to be with him fully and committed again, she needed this time apart. And as long as she had issues trusting Rumple, she wasn't comfortable sharing custody.

And to be completely honest, she didn't relish the idea of sharing custody at all. She was terrified to leave her daughter for more than a couple of hours ever since her kidnapping. The idea of leaving her for days or weeks, even with Rumple, had her feeling sick to her stomach. Hyde had taken her baby, kept her away from her for weeks when she was still so small and helpless. She knew it wasn't strictly Rumple's fault, but if he hadn't been the Dark One, if he hadn't had so much power, Hyde never would have wanted leverage over him. If he'd just been an ordinary man, they wouldn't have half the problems they did.

So part of her ignored the possibility of joint custody, hoping that one day they would be together and raise their child together with no need for such an arrangement. Unfortunately, Rumple didn't seem to care about making any forward progress. It was as if he'd given up, happy to keep his power and lose his family.

"Excuse me?" came a polite voice from her office doorway. "I've come to see about the job posting."

Belle raised her head to see a tall woman with black hair in a smart blue skirt suit glancing in to her office tentatively.

"Oh, yes!" she exclaimed, jumping up from her desk chair. "Please come in. Have a seat."

The woman walked into the room, an umbrella with a parrot head handle clutched in one hand.

"I'm Belle Gold," she introduced herself, reaching her hand out to shake the woman's umbrella-less hand. "And this is Lucy," she added, motioning to where her daughter was sleeping.

"She's a beautiful child," the woman said, smiling serenely down at Lucy.

"Thank you," Belle replied genuinely. She was the first applicant all day not to look at Lucy like she might suddenly sprout an extra head or throw a fireball.

The woman turned back toward the desk, taking a seat at the rickety wooden library chair across from Belle.

"My name is Mary Poppins," she said, holding a résumé out for Belle to take.

Belle felt her eyes bulge. "Mary Poppins?" she exclaimed, taking the paper with numb fingers. "Like the book character?"

"Belle like the Disney princess?" Mary retorted.

"Touché," Belle said with the shrug of a shoulder. "I don't remember seeing you around town before. Did you come from the Land of Untold Stories?"

"I did," Mary agreed. "Odious place if you must know. I'm much happier here in Storybrooke. There seems to be no lack of need for childcare either. This place has had quite the baby boom lately."

Mary glanced over to where Lucy was still asleep, her face softening at the sight of the baby girl. Belle watched her closely. It was a good sign if the nanny was already taken with her daughter.

"I hadn't really thought about it, but I suppose you're right," Belle said. Lucy, Neal, Philip, Alexandra and baby Robin were all under the age of three. She supposed the population of Storybrooke had been busy. But it was only natural for a baby boom after being frozen in time for twenty-eight long years.

"Now, what exactly are you needing in terms of my services?" Mary asked, taking charge of the interview. Belle sat back in her seat.

"Well, I'm in the process of doing some extra work here at the library," Belle said. "Lucy is here with me most of the day, but with the extra hours I need someone to take her back to the apartment, feed her, bathe her, and get her ready for bed. My friend Granny has been watching her, but I feel bad taking advantage of her hospitality. She has her own business to run and it's not fair of me to saddle her with Lucy all the time. So I figured I could use some professional help."

"Yes, it certainly seems you could use my help," Mary said smartly. "Since you know of my name, I'm certain you're familiar with my work with the Banks children."

Belle nodded. She'd been reading one of the Mary Poppins books for fun just a few months ago, but she wasn't sure what she'd done with the book. It was possible it was still at Rumple's house and she wasn't inclined to go looking for it.

"Complete poppycock of course," Mary continued. "All that nonsense about magic and carpet bags and whatever else. But I did take care of those children and made them the better for it. I've never met a challenge too great. I am strict, but fair. I think a child is never too young to learn. And I will certainly have Lucy in bed by 8:00 every night."

She finished with a firm little nod, placing her hands on the handle of her umbrella in a way that was eerily familiar.

Belle shook her head, ignoring it.

She was about to consult the questions she had prepared when a cry came from the corner. Lucy had apparently awoken from her nap.

"I apologize," she began, standing up to go to her daughter. But Mary interrupted.

"May I?" she asked, motioning toward Lucy.

"Please," Belle agreed, sinking back down into her chair.

She watched as Mary scooped up Lucy, somehow knowing exactly how to hold her against her shoulder to soothe the baby girl. A few sniffles later, Lucy had broken into a wide smile cooing happily as she reached up to grab Mary's nose.

"That's amazing," Belle exclaimed. "She can be pretty particular about who she wants holding her."

"I do have some experience with children," Mary offered, kissing Lucy's forehead before placing her back in her cot.

"Well, you're practically perfect in every way," Belle said with a giggle that came out more as a snort. Mary looked like she was trying not to laugh herself. There was something about the way her eyebrows quirked, her mouth twisted to hold in the laugh, that was familiar as well.

"I'm sorry, but is it possible we've met before?" Belle asked before she could even think the question through.

"No," Mary said with a shake of her head. "I can't imagine where we would have crossed paths."

Belle stared at her a moment longer, trying to place what exactly it was that was so familiar. But it was like clutching water in her hand. The harder she tried to focus, the quicker it slipped away like remembering a dream after waking.

She gave a little shake of her head.

"I'm sure you're right," she said, standing from behind her desk. "Well, Mary, I can't think of a single reason why I shouldn't hire you on the spot, but unfortunately I do need to consult with Lucy's father on this."

"Your husband?" Mary asked politely.

Belle paused, her mouth hanging open like a fish out of water.

"My – something like that. I'm not really sure at the moment."

Mary blinked.

"We're currently living separately," she clarified. "You'll only be answering to me if you take the position, but my…Rumple did want veto power on whomever I hired for the job."

"Perfectly understandable," Mary replied with a nod of her head.

That's when a horrible thought struck Belle, one that could change everything.

"I suppose you know who Lucy's father is," Belle stated, her heart sinking at the thought that Mary didn't know and would change her mind about the position the moment she found out.

"Mr. Gold, I presume," she answered, motioning out the office window where the pawnshop was visible across the street.

"Yes," Belle agreed. "But he was known in our world as Rumplestiltskin."

She waited for the flinch, the nasty look, the excuses, but none of it came. Mary still stood there serenely.

"Is that a problem?" Belle continued.

"No, why should it be?" Mary asked.

Belle was at a loss. "It seems to have been a point of interest to all the other applicants for the position."

"I'm a firm believer in taking people at their own merits. I certainly don't judge a child for who her parents are."

Belle breathed a sigh of relief. "That's a wonderful outlook."

"I think so," Mary agreed.

"I'll be in touch by the end of the day," Belle continued. "I do want to find a solution as soon as possible."

"Wonderful," Mary said with a smile, picking up her umbrella before bending over the pack and play to coo at Lucy. Her daughter giggled, grabbing at the other woman's hand and giving her a gummy smile.

"You've certainly earned Lucy's approval."

Mary stood back up, her eyes looking strangely misty. "I do hope I'll get to see her again. Goodbye, Mrs. Gold."

And with that, Mary Poppins left.

Belle scooped Lucy up, giving her daughter a little kiss.

"Mama," Lucy babbled.

"Yes, baby, Mama is here."

"Papa," Lucy said, pointing toward the open doorway.

Belle looked down at her daughter. "Yes, lets go see Papa."

She wanted to snatch up Mary before anyone else in need of a nanny found her. All she needed to do was convince Rumple.

* * *

Everything had gone so according to plan that Rumple was almost wary of his success. Belle had jumped at the chance to secure Mary Poppins herself as Lucy's nanny. She'd marched over to the pawnshop to discuss the matter with him only moments after he'd arrived himself.

Rumple had relished sitting there, holding his daughter while Belle extolled the virtues of the new nanny. He'd had to play it cool, asking questions about Mary and seeming reluctant before finally agreeing that Belle should hire her. Belle had been so happy she'd briefly hugged him, taking him completely by surprise.

That twisting feeling of guilt was present in his gut, that one he got anytime he kept Belle in the dark about something. But he pushed it to the side when Belle took Lucy from him and headed back across the street to the library. The employment was only for a week, two tops, Belle had said. He would come clean to her at the end of it and she would see that Lucy was perfectly safe with him. Then perhaps she'd be open to a more equal custody arrangement.

At least that's what he told himself.

Belle called "Mary" shortly after she left the shop and Rumple gladly accepted her offer of employment. He was to begin that very night, picking up Lucy at the library at 5:00 and taking her to the apartment for the evening.

He was just right upstairs from Belle should anything go wrong, a fact she'd assured him of as soon as he'd arrived at the prescribed time. Belle handed Lucy off to him with a worried look on her face. He knew Belle was wary of letting their daughter out of her sight. She'd nearly been taken by the God of the Underworld before she was even born. She was kidnapped by a madman when she was only a few weeks old. In their daughter's one year of life, she'd been under threat more than most people experience in a lifetime. It was only natural for Belle to have some separation anxiety. He'd told himself that over and over when he had supervised visitation with his own daughter. He needed to give Belle space and time and hope she came around. Letting Lucy be watched by someone else was a big first step.

Nevertheless, Belle called up to the apartment no less than three times in three hours to make sure everything was all right.

For her part, Lucy was perfectly happy to go along with Mary Poppins. She had clapped her hands together and reached for him when Rumple took her from Belle and had clung to him happily once they reached the apartment. She'd been good as gold as he fed her ground up chicken and mashed sweet potato that she'd proceeded to get all over her face. She'd laughed happily and played with her rubber duck as he bathed her. She'd smiled up at him sleepily as he read her a bedtime story and fallen asleep on his chest before he carried her to her crib.

He couldn't have imagined a better first night alone with his daughter. Once he'd gotten Lucy down to sleep, he'd gone to the kitchen and whipped Belle up a meal of spaghetti Bolognese and put it in the oven to keep warm for when she arrived home.

When Belle trudged up the steps a half hour later, Mary was reclining on the sofa with a book in hand.

"What's that delicious smell?" She asked, shutting the door behind her and kicking off her 4-inch heels.

"Dinner," Rumple replied, setting his book on the coffee table and standing up.

"You cooked?" Belle padded into the kitchen, bending over to look through the oven door. "Is that spaghetti Bolognese? That's one of my favorites. How did you know?"

Rumple smiled serenely, channeling Mary Poppins. "Practically perfect, remember? I simply know these things."

Belle chuckled, looking around the apartment. "Did you clean too?"

Rumple smiled, "I figured you would be tired after a long day."

Belle shook her head. "I can't believe it. I hired you to watch Lucy and I get dinner and a clean apartment on top of it. Thank you."

"It's no matter," Rumple said, picking up Mary's ubiquitous umbrella and heading toward the door. "I'll just be getting out of your hair, then."

"Oh, wait!" Belle called after him. "I can't possibly eat all this by myself and you went to so much trouble. Would you like to stay for dinner?"

Rumple turned, looking at his wife standing barefoot in her home and asking him to stay. His heart thudded a little harder in his chest. He'd like nothing more than to join her for dinner, to pretend they were happy once again. But she wasn't asking to have dinner with Rumple. She was asking to have dinner with Mary.

Besides, this was the longest he'd ever worn women's undergarments and he was highly uncomfortable. Women were saints for dealing with bras and he imagined a corset was infinitely worse.

He shook his head. "I really must be getting home. Enjoy your evening Mrs. Gold."


	3. Chapter 3

The rest of the week passed in a similar fashion. Rumple would arrive at the library at 5:00, take Lucy up to the apartment, and spend the evening with his daughter before putting her to bed and cooking Belle dinner.

She continued to invite him to stay and share her meal with her, and Rumple continued to refuse, scurrying off to his home to let the glamour fade away and bemoan the fact that he couldn't have his daughter and wife with him for more than a few fleeting hours a day.

But that Friday evening, everything changed.

Rumple was putting the finishing touches on a chicken and rice dish, thinking mournfully of the weekend when he wouldn't see his daughter at all, when Belle arrived back at the apartment.

He stood up from the oven as Belle kicked her shoes off and removed her jacket. But then she just stood there, twisting her hands together and staring off into space.

"Are you alright, Mrs. Gold?" he called from the kitchen.

Belle flinched at his voice as though she didn't even realize Mary was there.

"I've told you to call me Belle," she said, her shoulders relaxing as she walked toward the kitchen. "There's no need for this formal Mrs. Gold business."

"You're my employer," Rumple replied, smoothing his hands down the front of his modest skirt. "I think it highly inappropriate to call you by your first name."

Belle sighed, a small smile playing around her lips. The truth was, Rumple liked calling her Mrs. Gold. He wasn't sure how much longer she'd keep the name.

"I might be your employer, but can't we also be friends?" she ventured.

Rumple gave a stiff nod, turning to remove the chicken from the oven. "I suppose so, Mrs. Gold."

Belle shook her head at his blatant disregard for ever calling her by her first name.

"Well in the spirit of friendship, I'm afraid I have a rather big favor to ask of you."

Rumple raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.

"Is there any possible way you could watch Lucy tomorrow night?" she asked. "I hate to impose and I know I told you it would be weeknights only, but I promise I'll pay you overtime or whatever you think is fair."

"Certainly, Mrs. Gold," he agreed, silently pleased that he'd get another night with Lucy. "Are things not going well at the library?"

"Oh, no. I'm almost done with the conversion," Belle replied. She paused, biting her lip. "Actually, I have a date."

There was a resounding crash as Rumple dropped the casserole dish he'd retrieved from the oven. It shattered across the kitchen floor, sending chunks of chicken and rice mixed with ceramic shards everywhere.

"Are you alright?" Belle exclaimed, rushing forward.

Rumple looked down at the mess he had made. "It was hotter than I realized," he lied, stooping to start cleaning up the ruined dish.

"Here, let me help," Belle said, joining him on the kitchen floor with a trash bag and roll of paper towels.

"A date?" he prompted, once he'd gotten the bulk of the meal into the trash bag.

"Oh, yeah," Belle returned with a casual wave of her hand. "Nothing serious, just a man who visits the library with his children pretty frequently. He asked me to dinner and, well, I said okay."

Rumple nodded, his heart beating frantically in his chest as if it wanted to escape, to get away before it could be crushed to dust any more than it already had. Belle was dating. She was moving on. He knew their separation was most likely permanent, but if Belle was starting to date other men it was confirmation. These past five months he'd kept up a little bit of hope, the thought that maybe Belle would come back after all, that they'd be a family again. It's why he'd kept her clothes and books instead of returning them to her. It was a symbol that part of her still wanted to be with him. But it looked like that had been a foolish and silly dream on his part.

He needed to get away before he said or did something foolish. He couldn't be here and listen to Belle talk about another man. He'd done that before when he'd disguised himself as Hook and he wasn't about to do it again.

Luckily, a loud wail chose that moment to echo through the baby monitor on the counter.

"I'll check on her," Rumple exclaimed, wiping his hands on a dishtowel and hurrying off down the hall.

Lucy was standing up in her crib, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. It was as though the baby had a sixth sense about what was happening to her parents' marriage in the next room. More likely the sound of the shattered dish had woken her, but Rumple felt a kinship with his crying child all the same.

"There, there," he cooed, picking Lucy up and bouncing her on his hip. "It's alright."

"Papa," she gasped through her tears before burying her face against his neck. "Papa!"

Rumple froze. Did Lucy recognize him? Had his magic not managed to fool a one year old? Or was she simply missing him. Perhaps she often cried for him in the night and Belle had neglected to tell him.

He made gentle shushing noises against Lucy's ear, bouncing her again and rubbing her back.

"Papa," she whimpered again, wrapping her chubby arms about his neck.

"Did she just call you papa?" came Belle voice from behind him. Rumple whirled around to see her framed in the doorway of the nursery looking perplexed.

"Poppins," he lied, thinking quickly. "It's what she calls me."

Belle looked unconvinced, watching him warily. Then Lucy sniffled again and the tension broke as Belle's attention shifted to her daughter.

"Come here, sweetheart," she cooed, holding her arms open to Lucy.

"No, Papa!" Lucy cried, clinging harder to Rumple.

Belle looked like she'd been struck in the stomach, the breath seeming to leave her.

"That was definitely 'papa' not 'Poppins'," she said, her face falling. "She misses her father."

Rumple wasn't sure what to say. He felt it was a delicate balance. He was fairly certain Lucy had realized who Mary was, and if that wasn't confusing for a child he wasn't sure what was, but Belle couldn't find out. Not like this.

Belle reached out for Lucy again and this time her daughter went to her.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," she said, holding her daughter close. "We'll go see Papa tomorrow, okay?"

Lucy continued to sniffle until she'd fallen back to sleep on Belle's shoulder.

Rumple headed back into the living room and Belle joined him a moment later.

"I'm sorry about that," she said, motioning back toward Lucy's room. "I didn't mean to draw you into our little family drama."

"Lucy misses her father," Rumple said, putting on a neutral front that he didn't feel. "It's only natural when parents split up."

"Well I wouldn't say we're split up exactly," Belle protested.

Rumple arched an eyebrow. "I thought you had a date."

"Well, yes," she began.

"If you'll excuse me, Mrs. Gold, it's quite late," he interrupted. "I'll see you tomorrow evening."

He made his escape as quickly as possible, not chancing a glance over his shoulder as he descended the apartment stairs. Belle had a date, his daughter cried for him at night, and nothing was as it should be.

* * *

What the hell was she doing?

Belle watched Mary leave, feeling the other woman's disapproval. She felt Lucy's disapproval. She felt the whole world's disapproval.

She could tell Mary was unimpressed with her announcement that she'd be going on a date. It made sense, of course. Mary Poppins was all about bringing families together, not watching them fall apart. Belle rather thought she could use a little bit of her brand of magical intervention at the moment. She'd like nothing more than to just go fly a kite.

She closed the apartment door, heading to the kitchen and pouring herself a glass of wine.

She knew Lucy missed Rumple, but she'd never seen her daughter cry out for him before like that. It sent a pang through her heart. She would bring Lucy to see her father tomorrow and perhaps they could work out a way she could see him more often. Gods knew she and Rumple needed to talk, really actually talk.

She didn't want to date someone else. She didn't want to move on. Rumple was her husband, the father of her child and her true love. No matter what happened between them, she would always love him. But she was so tired of waiting for him to decide that she and Lucy were what he really wanted.

They had taken time apart not just for her. Archie had suggested they both needed to examine what they wanted in life. Belle wanted to forgive Rumple. She wanted to trust him. She wanted their marriage to work. She wanted to feel that her daughter was safe and protected away from the taint of dark magic. But she wasn't sure what Rumple wanted and she was tired of waiting for him to figure it out. It had been five long months and he was still keeping his distance for the most part, still only speaking to her about Lucy and never anything remotely personal.

Five months was probably nothing to Rumple, but it was a lifetime to Belle. He was an immortal sorcerer with unlimited power and while she knew he loved her, she had the feeling she was something fleeting to him. He had loved women before her, and he would probably love women long after she was gone. And he'd always have his power above all else.

So when Michael Tillman had asked her to dinner earlier that afternoon, she'd said yes. She'd regretted it almost immediately, but she didn't want to cry off after the fact, so she was locked in now.

And why shouldn't she go? She wasn't going to fall in love with him or anything. It was simply a night out with another adult, away from the library or motherhood or therapy. When was the last time she'd had that? Belle couldn't even remember.

But there was guilt roiling in her stomach as well. Rumple would find out, he always knew everything. It would hurt him, she knew. He wouldn't interfere. He'd want her to be happy. He might not even really want her anymore himself, but it would still hurt him.

Or perhaps it would give him the kick in the pants he needed. Maybe the risk of losing her to someone else would make him act.

Belle snorted into her wineglass. That wasn't likely to happen. She knew him too well to believe that train of thought. Rumple would sit at home and think he never deserved her and it was only fitting she'd moved on to someone else.

She downed the rest of her wine, heading to bed. She didn't even bother changing out of her work clothes, just collapsed face first into the pillows. She wrapped her arms around herself and tried to fall asleep.

* * *

Belle kept her word to Lucy the next day and took her over to visit Rumple at the pawnshop during her lunch break. Her daughter lit up like a Christmas tree at the sight of her father, nearly leaping out of her arms to get to him.

"See, I told you we'd see Papa," Belle said, smoothing her daughter's curls as she wrapped her little arms around Rumple's neck.

"This is a nice surprise," Rumple said, sitting down on the stool behind the counter and settling Lucy on his knee. "To what do I owe the honor?"

"She was missing you," Belle said with a shrug. "I figured we'd stop in for a visit."

Rumple nodded. "I'm glad you did."

Lucy gurgled happily from her father's lap, pulling on one of his jacket lapels.

"There was something else I wanted to talk to you about as well," Belle started nervously. She knew she had to tell Rumple about her date with Mr. Tillman. If he found out through word of mouth it would be infinitely worse. But she felt nauseous at the prospect anyway. Not for the first time she considered cancelling.

"Go on," Rumple said, still making faces at Lucy and not bothering to look up at her.

"I have a date tonight," she said, the words coming out in a rush. "I didn't want you to find out from someone else."

Rumple was quiet, just continued to bounce Lucy on his knee, his eyes staring down at the floor beneath his feet.

"Rumple?" she asked. She was expecting some sort of reaction from him, not just silence as if he were ignoring her words. "Say something."

"What do you want me to say?" he said with a shrug.

"I don't know," she said self-consciously.

"Do you want me to fly into a rage in front of our daughter? Threaten to kill him, whoever he is?"

"No of course not," Belle exclaimed.

"Then perhaps you want my blessing, to tell you to go off and be happy, to live your life as I've done in the past."

"No," she said with a shake of her head. She remembered him imploring her to go be with Will as he lay on this very pawnshop floor dying from a blackened heart. It felt a lifetime ago, but it had only been, what? Two years at most?

But she didn't love Will any more than she loved Michael Tillman. She just wanted something normal. Relationships shouldn't be this hard, should they? Every moment of happiness constantly snatched from under their feet before they could even enjoy them.

"Then I don't know what you want me to say," Rumple continued. Lucy had pulled his silk tie into her mouth and was slobbering on the expensive fabric, probably ruining it, but Rumple didn't seem to mind.

He certainly wasn't happy about her news, but she hadn't expected him to be so cold. It was as if he couldn't be bothered to care. Belle wasn't sure what she wanted his reaction to be. She certainly didn't want him angry and she didn't expect his blessing. She just wanted…something, anything, to show that he was still in this thing with her. Something other than the stiff cordiality they'd developed during their separation.

"I should get back to the library," she said, for lack of anything else to add. She held her hands out for Lucy, but the baby just gripped harder to Rumple's suit jacket.

"Papa!" she babbled happily.

"Yes, say goodbye to Papa," Belle encouraged.

Lucy buried her head against Rumple's chest in response.

"Come on, sweetheart," Rumple said, kissing the top of Lucy's curly brown head. "Papa will see you again soon."

He tried to pull her away from his body to hand to Belle, but Lucy gripped on tighter, her bottom lip jutting out and starting to tremble.

"She can always stay here with me for the rest of the day," Rumple offered.

"Rumple…" Belle began. "I just don't like leaving her."

Rumple snorted. "You've left her alone with a nanny all week."

"That's different," she protested.

"Because you trust her?" he said with a sneer. "A woman you've known a whole week against your husband?" The word came out like a curse, like something nasty. A reminder that they were still married in name only.

"No," she countered. "Because we're in the same building. She's just upstairs from me. If anything were to happen I'm right there."

"And I'm just across the street," he pointed out. "If anything should happen do you think I wouldn't call you immediately?"

She shook her head, looking down at her feet as Lucy started to cry at their raised voices.

Rumple kissed the little girl again, rubbing her back to soothe her.

"You said you have a date tonight," he said, his voice halting over the word as though it were difficult to get out. "I assume our daughter won't be attending."

"No," Belle agreed.

"So you're leaving her with the nanny while you're off gallivanting for gods know how long, but you won't leave her with her own father for an afternoon? What are you so afraid of?"

"That she'll get snatched away from me again!" Belle cried, finally breaking. "I've almost lost her twice and I won't let it happen again. I know what happened wasn't your fault, Rumple, but I can't help but blame you. I hate that, but there it is. If you weren't the Dark One, I wouldn't constantly fear for our daughter's safety."

Lucy was watching them now, her head swiveling back and forth between her parents. Rumple took a deep breath before responding.

"Have you ever considered that my being the Dark One is the only thing that saved our daughter both of those times?" he replied calmly.

"I know that's what you believe," she retorted.

"Because it's the truth," he cried, pulling Lucy up on to his shoulder to pat her back as he stood. "I have 300 years of dark deeds under my belt, sweetheart, and I can't take those back. To give up the curse would be irresponsible at best. The only way I can protect you…"

"We wouldn't need protecting if you'd just stop using dark magic!" Belle was adamant, the one thing she'd wanted from him for years. "I don't need you to give up magic completely. I need you to try to see things my way and try to use your magic for good. Your magic hurts people, Rumple. It hurts our child."

"I have been trying," he exclaimed. "For five damn months I've been trying. Since Lucy was born, I've been trying. Since I woke you, I've been trying. It hasn't done me a lick of good, I'm still here alone while you keep my daughter from me. And now you have a date."

There it was, his anger and frustration over her date finally coming to the surface. Belle felt a glimmer of vindication but it soured in her chest. She didn't want him to be hurt or angry. She just wanted him to care.

"It's nothing, Rumple," she said with a shake of her head.

"If you want a divorce, just tell me," he replied, sounding so weary it broke her heart. He handed Lucy over and turned to head to the back room of the shop. "You can see yourself out."

With those words ringing in her ears, Belle shifted Lucy on her hip and headed back to the library. If Rumple was done with their relationship, the least she could do was have a night out to enjoy herself.


	4. Chapter 4

Rumple arrived at Belle's apartment promptly at 7:00 that evening. His head was still spinning from their earlier conversation. He wasn't sure what Belle had hoped to gain from telling him about her date. That hopeful part of him that refused to die whispered that perhaps she'd wanted him to tell her not to go, to sweep her into his arms and kiss her and tell her to come home to him. But that was a ridiculous thought. If Belle wanted to come home, she'd have done so already. She'd trust him with their daughter.

Belle answered the door wearing a simple black dress that fell to her knees, the full skirt swishing around her as she moved to let him in. Her hair was pulled back, brightly colored lipstick in place. She looked absolutely beautiful.

For a moment he was struck dumb, staring at her like an idiot.

"Do you want to come in?" she asked after Rumple had stood in the doorway unmoving for an embarrassingly long moment.

"Ah, yes, I'm sorry," he said, briskly crossing the threshold. "You look lovely, Mrs. Gold."

Belle smiled one of her wide smiles at him. "Thank you."

She stooped over the coffee table picking up a pair of diamond drop earrings and putting them on.

"Lucy has already been fed," she said, her back turned to him. "She should go down rather easily, so feel free to help yourself to whatever is in the fridge and watch television or read a book or something. Easy night. You have my number if you need anything."

"Yes, Mrs. Gold," he agreed.

Belle turned around, gracing him with another of those smiles. If she kept taking his breath away he was going to have a hard time keeping up the ruse of a strict nanny.

"I don't imagine I'll be out too late," Belle said, slipping her high heels on at the door. "Just dinner, after all."

"Yes, Mrs. Gold," he said unenthusiastically.

"Is something wrong, Mary?" she asked, her brow wrinkling with concern.

"No, of course not," he lied. "I can't imagine what would possibly be wrong."

Belle heaved a sigh, grabbing her jacket off the hook next to the door. "You don't approve," she said knowingly.

"Approve of what?"

"My going on a date with someone else. I've read your books, you know. Seen the movie. You brought the Banks family together, I'm sure you hate to see one fall apart."

"I assure you, Mrs. Gold, I pass no judgment."

"I don't want this, you know," Belle said, the smile slipping from her face into a frown. "I…well, it's no matter. I'll be home soon."

And with that Belle left, not bothering to finish her sentence.

The night went smoothly enough. Lucy was happy to see her papa, nearly bouncing up and down in her swing at the sight of him. He was almost glad Belle had left in such a hurry. She'd missed Lucy's frantic cries of "Papa! Papa!" that would have been hard to pass off as their daughter merely missing her father and not seeing him directly in front of her.

He cuddled Lucy close, reading her a bedtime story and stroking her tiny little back until she was fast asleep on the living room sofa. Then he scooped her up and carried her to her crib. She gave a mighty yawn, grabbing on to his finger before drifting back to sleep. He stood there over her for a long moment, marveling at the beautiful little girl he'd somehow had a hand in creating. She was so perfect he could hardly believe she was his.

Rumple trudged back to the living room, kicking off Mary's rather uncomfortable shoes and sinking onto the sofa. Belle had been gone for a little over an hour. Part of him wanted to go to the mirror above the sink in the bathroom and try to create a window to wherever she was. Was she having fun? Did she look at her date as radiantly and happily as she'd once looked at him?

I don't want this, you know. Those were the words she'd said before she left. But Belle was never one to be forced into anything. If she didn't want to go on this date she simply wouldn't have gone. No one decided her fate but her, it was the very first thing he'd learned about her.

He wouldn't spy on Belle. He wanted her to be happy, honestly. If someone else could make her so, so be it. He would always love her. There would be no one else for him. But Belle was young and beautiful and oh so lovable. She should have love, even if it wasn't with him.

He picked up a book on the side table, flipping through it idly. The Count of Monte Cristo held little interest for him and he tossed it back, grabbing another. Wuthering Heights, even worse.

Before he could pick up a third book in the pile on the side table, Rumple heard something outside the front door, a scuffle like footsteps and then a ragged gasp.

He stood up, immediately on alert. He'd been extremely well behaved in the past year or so, but that didn't mean there wasn't someone in town who wanted revenge upon him. Lucy was such an easy target for anyone who wanted to get to him, he knew that. Belle was absolutely correct when she laid that charge at his door.

He went to the front door, peeking out the peephole only to be met with the empty stairwell. But there was someone out there; he could feel them just beyond the door.

He opened the door slowly, glancing out through the crack in the door before letting out a sigh of relief.

Belle was sitting on the steps outside the apartment, her head in her hands. A moment later he realized she was crying.

He knew he shouldn't intrude, but Rumple had never been able to sit back and watch Belle cry, even in their first days at the Dark Castle. He'd always want to fix things even if, especially if, he was the cause.

And he usually was, he reflected bitterly.

"Mrs. Gold?" he said tentatively.

Belle jumped, her shoulders tightening as she swiped at her tears before turning around.

"Oh, Mary," she exclaimed. "I didn't see you there. I'm sorry, I was just about to come in."

"What's wrong, dear?" Rumple asked, sitting down on the steps beside her.

"It's nothing," Belle said with a shake of her head.

Rumple shot her a look that said he wasn't buying that for a second and Belle gave a little huff of laughter.

"I feel silly," she admitted. "I didn't mean for anyone to catch me like this. I'm sorry I didn't come in right away, I'm sure you're tired."

Rumple just shrugged. "Your wee one is such a doll she's no trouble at all."

Belle nodded, clasping her hands in her lap and staring down at them.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Rumple prompted. "Did something happen on your date?"

There was a long pause, Belle chewing on her lip indecisively. Rumple was about to cry off and go back inside when she suddenly spoke.

"He tried to kiss me goodnight," Belle said with a shrug. Rumple tensed beside her, ready to hunt down Michael Tillman and rip his heart from his chest for daring to impose himself on Belle.

"Did…did he force himself…" Rumple trailed off, trying to keep himself from vibrating with fury. Mary had no reason to react so strongly to Belle kissing anyone.

"No!" she exclaimed, before Rumple had to elaborate further. "No, nothing like that. He was a perfect gentleman. I'm the one who screwed up. It's so stupid. It was a perfectly nice date and of course he'd want a kiss goodnight. But I just froze up and then I started crying. And I've been here ever since."

Rumple couldn't deny that he was relieved that Belle was apparently less than taken with the woodcutter. But it felt like a hollow victory with Belle sitting beside him so miserable.

Belle didn't seem inclined to say anything more and it was hardly his – or Mary's – place to inquire. But he couldn't help himself.

"This seems a strong reaction for a kiss," he said.

Belle let out a sigh, wiping her hands across her cheeks. Her mascara had smudged in the corner of one eye.

"It wasn't the kiss, not really," she said finally. "It's me not knowing what I want."

Rumple just stayed silent, letting her divulge as much or as little as she wished. Finally Belle sat up a little straighter, turning to look Mary in the eye.

"This isn't the first time Rumple and I have split up," she began raggedly. "It happened once before shortly after we were married, back before we had Lucy. At the time, I thought we were over for good and I dated someone else."

Rumple held his breath, waiting for Belle to continue. They rarely talked about their time apart and they'd never discussed her relationship with Will Scarlet in detail. Rumple figured there were things he'd rather not know. Lucy was definitely his child and that's all that mattered.

"It wasn't anything serious and it never progressed very far," she continued, and Rumple breathed a sigh of a relief. "But then Rumple and I got back together, and I got pregnant with Lucy and everything was a whirlwind for a while there. There was always something there in the back of my head though, the knowledge that I'd been with someone else. I know I didn't cheat on him, for all intents and purposes we were divorced at the time. But it felt like I had cheated on him. Whether or not we were married at the time felt like a technicality. He was still my true love and I gave up. And tonight, it felt like if I kissed Michael it would be giving up again, like I'd really be shutting the door on my marriage for good. And I'm not sure I want that. And I just felt guilty and wrong." She trailed off, burying her head in her hands.

Rumple wasn't sure what to do. He could tell Belle had been less than enthusiastic about going out with someone else so he was still confused about why she had done it. She still felt bound to him even though their relationship was destroyed beyond repair.

He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, not sure what else to do.

"I miss my husband," she said finally, the tears choking her voice. Rumple's heart leapt into his throat. He both craved and feared what Belle might say next. "I know I should be strong and independent, and I think I am. But some nights it would just be so much easier to go home to him. It would be so much easier to have him help with Lucy's bath and her bedtime story and getting her to sleep on time. And it would be so nice to just have someone there to hold me, to complain about my day to, to know I wasn't alone. I just miss that."

"I'm sure he misses you as well," he said softly. Belle just snorted derisively.

"He's perfectly content," she coughed out. "Rumple is always happy as long as he has his power."

Rumple's brow furrowed. "I'm certain that's not true."

"Even if it weren't, I'm still so angry at him," Belle said, her voice coming out in a growl that was so different from her usual voice. "When Lucy was six weeks old, she was kidnapped by someone who wanted to control Rumple. I've been kidnapped, God I can't even remember how many times, because someone wanted to control Rumple. If he wasn't so powerful, there wouldn't be so many people out to get us."

"Far be it from me to pry, but have you told any of this to Mr. Gold? Have you given any thought to actually reconciling if you're so miserable?"

Belle let out a choked little sob. "I think about it constantly. But I can't. You don't know us very well, but it's been one thing after the other with us for years. It's like we're cursed, we can never just be together and be happy. Something always happens to ruin it."

"From what I've heard, your husband tends to ruin it," Rumple said ruefully.

Belle let out a snort. "Well, he does like to say he's a difficult man to love. But that's not really the truth. Loving him was never the hard part."

"Then what was?" Rumple asked, hanging on her every word.

"Making him believe that it was enough. That he didn't need more magic or more power, that what we had, our family, could be enough. And I know he tried. So many times he tried, but the magic always called him back. He thinks he needs it to protect us, but he'd have nothing to protect us from if he didn't have the power. I thought for a while that even though I was never going to be enough for him that maybe Lucy could be. I really wanted that to be true, but at the end of the day it wasn't. So I had to leave, take some time away, because it wasn't just me he was hurting. I could live with being second best but I couldn't see our daughter come in second."

Rumple felt like he'd been stabbed with his own dagger, every one of Belle's words cutting through him, leaving him raw and bloodied. She was never second best, and Lucy certainly wasn't either. How could she think such a thing?

But what else would she think? He continued to grasp for more power. Things were fine when things were calm, but as soon as another threat reared its head he was off on the search for more. But it was never just for power's sake. He had amassed so many enemies over the years it would be irresponsible to give it up. That's what he told himself at least. He needed power to protect Belle and Lucy. And he needed power because without it, he was nothing. Sooner or later, Belle would realize that.

"He's a fool," he said with certainty, and Belle let out a breathy little laugh. "Anyone who has you and that little girl in there and doesn't hold on tight is a bloody fool."

Belle arched an eyebrow at "Mary's" conviction.

"Thank you," she said, placing one hand over his. Rumple's hand fisted in his skirt with the effort of not turning his hand to hold hers. It wouldn't be right. Belle didn't want to hold his hand. Belle didn't want to tell him all of this. She thought she was confiding in a friend, not her estranged husband.

He stood up abruptly.

"Lucy is asleep for the night," he said with a nod of his head. "The washing has all been done and the kitchen cleaned. If you wouldn't mind terribly, I think I'll be on my way home now."

"Oh," Belle said, gaping up at him from where she still sat on the stairs. "Of course. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to unburden on you like that."

"It's no bother," he assured her. "But it's getting late and I do think I ought to be on my way home."

Belle nodded, watching as Rumple collected his things from the front room of the apartment and stalked off down the stairs.

"Thank you again, Mary," Belle called down after him.

"Goodnight, sweetheart," he said, too distracted by everything Belle had said to even notice his slip of the tongue.

Once he'd put a few blocks between them, he let the glamour fade, morphing once again into the familiar face of Mr. Gold.

When he reached home, he stared into the mirror in the foyer, looking at the lines etched around his eyes, the long nose that had been broken a fair few times, the graying hair that brushed against his collar. He'd never been a handsome man, even in his human form, and he'd never known what Belle saw in him. She could have any man in the world that she wanted and she'd chosen him. Even now she was spending her Saturday night crying over him rather than out with someone infinitely more worthy.

He closed his eyes, blocking out the grim reflection in front of him. He couldn't do this anymore. He couldn't take advantage of Belle's good nature. He couldn't lie and deceive her any longer. She had put her trust in Mary, she had put her trust in him, and he was once again letting her down.

He loved his daughter more than anything and wanted to spend time with her, but he couldn't do it at the sake of hurting Belle further.

Tomorrow he would tender his resignation, he would let Belle find a real babysitter, and he would step back from her life for good.

* * *

Belle sat in stunned silence on the top step of her apartment. It was cold outside. She needed to go in, shut the door and turn up the heat, but she couldn't seem to make herself move.

It was all becoming so clear. Why there were certain facial expressions that made Mary seem so familiar, why she seemed to know exactly her favorite meals, why Lucy seemed to call for her papa when Mary was near.

And now she'd called her "sweetheart" a term of endearment only one person ever used for her.

"That bastard," she growled, hopping up from her place on the steps. She had half a mind to chase him down and make him explain himself, but she couldn't leave her daughter unattended.

She froze, indecisive. Eventually her maternal side won over her anger and she retreated to the apartment, peeking in on Lucy to make sure she was alright before heading back to the living room.

She sat down on the sofa, stewing. She didn't need to go tell Rumple she had a date so he wouldn't find out from someone else. He had already known. That's why Mary had dropped the casserole dish last night. No wonder he could come across so cold and uncaring, he'd had a full day to prepare himself.

How could she not have seen it earlier? She'd been reading Mary Poppins prior to moving out of Rumple's house. The book was probably still on her nightstand. It probably gave Rumple the idea in the first place.

She let out a groan, letting her head fall back against the sofa cushions. She'd just poured her heart out about Rumple to Rumple. Well, she thought bitterly, maybe some good could come of that. Everything was out in the open now, every thought in her head. She only wished she knew what he was thinking.

She glanced down the hall to where her daughter was sleeping peacefully, well fed and most important of all, happy. Lucy had been thriving this past week under Rumple's care. She was so angry with him for lying to her yet again, but she always insisted her daughter came first. And it was clear that Lucy needed her father.

So instead she came up with a plan. The next time she saw Rumple, or Mary, she'd pretend as if nothing was the matter. He was going to come clean with her whether he wanted to or not.


	5. Chapter 5

"No," Belle said decisively.

Rumple sat back in the rickety library chair in surprise.

"I beg your pardon?"

"No," Belle said again.

It was Monday morning and Rumple had just attempted to resign Mary's position as Lucy's nanny. It was completely unforeseen that she would refuse.

"I'm resigning," he ground out.

"And I refuse to accept your resignation," Belle said coolly. "You've been a godsend this past week and I can't find other childcare on such short notice. I'll be done with the library system on Thursday. I can't possibly let you go before then."

Rumple sighed. "Mrs. Gold, this really is non negotiable."

"Why?" she asked. "Am I not paying you enough? I can assure you, Lucy's father literally makes gold. I can increase your salary."

"No," Rumple shook his head, marveling at the irony that he was paying himself to watch his own child.

"Then what is it? Do you dislike Lucy?"

"Of course not!"

"Do you dislike me?" she asked with an arched brow.

"No," Rumple said softly. "You're an absolutely lovely woman."

Something in Belle's eyes softened at that before she continued.

"Then I'm sorry, but I don't understand why you'd want out of your employment. Do you have a better offer?"

She really wasn't going to let this go.

"Until Thursday, you said?" he asked, giving up. It was only a few more days. He could last that long and it certainly wouldn't be a chore to spend more time with Lucy.

"Thursday," Belle agreed, smiling sharply.

And so, things continued as they had the previous week, barring anymore dates from Belle. If she looked at him a little oddly from time to time, her hand brushing over his when she handed over Lucy, he thought nothing of it. It wasn't until Wednesday night when Belle fully embraced Mary in a lingering hug as she was getting ready to leave that Rumple began to think something was seriously amiss.

And then came Thursday night.

Rumple had lasagna in the oven, much better quality than the utter tripe offered at Granny's. He'd tossed a small salad to go with it and cut up a loaf of garlic bread as well. It was entirely too much food for just Belle, but he figured she could eat leftovers throughout the weekend. This was to be his last night as Mary after all, and his Belle was not the best of cooks when left to her own devices. He was still convinced the only reason he hadn't been poisoned by her cooking in the Dark Castle was his immortality.

He left to go look in on Lucy's sleeping form. He'd been loath to put her down for the night considering he wasn't entirely sure when he'd next see her, but the little girl had grown drowsy and fallen asleep about an hour ago.

She was still sleeping peacefully, her unruly brown ringlets sticking up every which way and her chest rising and falling gently beneath her bunny printed footy pajamas. Rumple's heart ached as he traced one finger across her downy cheek.

"Goodbye, sweet one," he whispered. "Papa will see you again."

He made his way back to the front of the apartment only to find Belle already standing in the entryway.

"Mrs. Gold," he exclaimed. "I didn't hear you come in."

"Dinner smells amazing," Belle said by way of answer.

"Thank you. I made lasagna, just a little something special it being my last night here and all."

Belle slipped her coat off her shoulders, hanging it up beside the front door.

"It is your last night isn't it?" she said somewhat absent-mindedly. "Why don't you join me for dinner, I'm sure you've made too much."

Rumple swallowed down the yes that wanted to bubble up from his throat. The past two weeks he'd not only seen his daughter regularly, he'd been able to spend a few moments here and there with Belle. She'd looked at him kindly, smiled at him. He missed her so much it made his chest ache and he was about to lose her again.

"I couldn't," he said instead.

"I insist," she said in a voice that brooked no opposition.

Rumple's hands were twisting together in front of him, almost of their own accord.

"Very well," he agreed. Belle gave a nod, heading into the kitchen and rummaging in the pantry.

"Red or white?" she asked, surfacing with two bottles of wine.

"I don't think…." Belle shot him a look that shut him up immediately.

"Red or white?" she insisted again.

"Red," he answered, feeling increasingly more uncomfortable. He wasn't sure what Belle was doing but this was unlike any interactions she'd had with Mary before.

Belle busied herself with pouring the wine and then brought a glass to Rumple, bringing her own wineglass up to clink against his.

"A toast to a successful deal," she said with a smirk, taking a sip of her wine.

Rumple followed suit, unsure of what was happening.

"Sit," Belle stated, pointing toward the sofa. "There's still a few minutes left on that lasagna."

Rumple filed into the living room, feeling Belle's eyes on his back the whole time.

"Tell me more about yourself," she said once they'd settled comfortably on the sofa, Belle sitting a little closer to him than he thought was strictly necessary.

"I believe you know the highlights," Rumple said, taking another sip of wine for lack of anything better to do.

"Then tell me the lowlights," Belle continued. "You're a very attractive woman, Mary. Have you ever been married?"

Rumple's eyes widened. His knowledge of Mary Poppins was rudimentary at best, a simple flick through one book in the series and distant cursed memories of the film with Julie Andrews. He couldn't remember if Mary was ever married or not. Wasn't there something between her and Bert the chimney sweep? Or had that been fabricated for the film?

"No?" he said finally, cursing himself that the word came out as a question.

"Lucky you," Belle said, leaning back against the arm of the sofa and stretching her legs out in front of her. Rumple noticed she hadn't removed her towering heels as she usually did when she arrived home. "I know I laid it all out to you last weekend and I'm sure you're tired of hearing about my personal life, but I've come to a decision regarding my husband."

Rumple tried not to choke on his wine. He leaned forward, putting the glass on the coffee table and out of harm's way.

"Oh?" he said, feigning polite interest.

"Yes," Belle sighed, sipping her own wine. "I think it's over. Do you find it hot in here?"

She slipped open the top two buttons of her blouse, the lacy black top of her bra clearly visible in the gap in the fabric, but it wasn't enough to distract Rumple from her words. He felt numb. He knew it was coming, but for Belle to throw it out so casually was soul crushing. On Saturday she had seemed so conflicted. What had changed to make her simply not care?

Belle continued to sit back against the sofa, fanning herself with one hand. She didn't seem to notice that Mary was having a crisis right next to her.

"How," Rumple began, his voice coming out hoarse and ragged. "How did you come to that decision?"

Belle shrugged, taking another long sip of her wine.

"I figured why prolong things when I want to move on with my life, move on with someone else."

Rumple sputtered again even without the wineglass this time. He had often thought himself a master of his emotions, able to keep his true feelings hidden and buried no matter what. But he'd always been an open book to Belle. Even with another face he couldn't truly hide his anguish.

"I thought you'd decided not to see Mr. Tillman."

"Mr. Tillman?" Belle looked at him blankly. "Oh, no. Not him," she said with a shake of her head.

So Belle had been able to meet and fall for someone else in the span of 4 days? Had the world fallen off its axis?

"Then who?" Rumple asked, not really caring for the answer. The who didn't matter, just that Belle had decided to end their marriage for good. The reasoning didn't change the outcome.

"Oh you silly woman," Belle giggled, actually giggled. She leaned forward to place her wineglass next to Rumple's on the coffee table before scooting even closer. A moment later she'd placed a hand on his knee.

Rumple stared down at Belle's hand, eyes darting back up to her face and then down to the hand again. He felt as though his brain had short-circuited. Something was not computing.

"As I said, Mary," Belle breathed against his ear. "You're a very attractive woman."

Point A connected to Point B and Rumple jumped up from his seat knocking Belle's hand away.

Was she actually coming on to Mary Fucking Poppins? While their daughter slept down the hall no less?

"Mrs. Gold!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing?"

Belle blinked up at him from the sofa innocently.

"I know it's only been two weeks, but you've been such an instrumental part of our lives in that time," Belle reasoned. "I felt like there was something there."

"Well you felt wrong," Rumple spat. "I assure you."

It would be just his luck to win over his wife's affection when he was pretending to be someone else.

The timer went off on the lasagna in the kitchen but they both stayed put just staring at each other.

"Well I suppose I misunderstood," Belle said calmly, a smile playing around her lips. "I've seen the way you look at me. I could have sworn you wanted me."

As if to prove her point, Rumple's eyes flicked down to her cleavage before settling on her face. Belle was wearing a triumphant look.

"No," was all he managed to get out. "If you don't mind, I won't stay for dinner."

He turned to storm out of the apartment, wanting to let the Mary Poppins glamour fade and never use it again.

"Rumplestiltskin, wait!" Belle called. Rumple froze in his tracks. "Don't you dare walk out on me right now."

He turned around slowly, letting the glamour fade away until he was himself, dark suit and all.

"You knew?"

Belle rolled her eyes. "Of course I knew," she said, throwing up her hands. "I know you, Rumple, no matter what face, or dress, you wear."

"So all of that, just now…" he trailed off at the smirk on Belle's face.

"Just trying to draw out the man from behind the mask."

"Belle," he gasped. "I am truly sorry…"

"For what?" she interrupted. "Lying to me? Deceiving me? Going behind my back to spend time with Lucy?"

"Yes," he agreed with all of the above. "I just missed her so much. But I tried to resign. I realized how stupid of a plan it was and how much it would hurt you."

"I know," she acknowledged. "And Lucy was just so happy to have you around that I let you continue with your little ruse. God, I should be infuriated with you. I should hate you."

Rumple hung his head. "Yes, you should."

"But I don't," she said with a shake of her head. "You are a complete and total imbecile and I should have seen this coming a mile away. Disguising yourself as the nanny? That's so stereotypically you!" She heaved a sigh, crossing her arms against her chest. "And I love you, God help me but I do."

Rumple's head picked up at that, his heart beat picking up pace.

"What?"

"I love you, Rumple. I always have. And despite everything we've been through, the mistakes we've both made, that will never change. And having Mary around these past two weeks made me realize that I want you back in our lives."

"I thought you'd moved on," he admitted. "You said you needed space and I agreed, but you never came back."

"I know," she said.

"I thought you'd given up on us."

"I couldn't."

"Then why?" he demanded. "The past five months, keeping me from Lucy? What was it all for?"

"I was afraid, Rumple," she said, tears springing to her eyes. "I can't be brave all the time. But despite the lies, you were really wonderful with Lucy the past two weeks. I can see now that I was being unreasonable not letting her out of my sight, especially to you."

"I only did it because I didn't trust anyone else in this town," he was quick to assert. "Everyone has a grudge against me, most of them rightly so. You're right, Lucy will always be in danger because nearly everyone wants revenge on me."

"So do something about it," Belle said, standing from the sofa and coming to stand in front of him. "Start making amends to the town. You can't just change for Lucy and me; you have to do it for yourself. You have to show everyone that you can be a better man, and not just restrict it to the ones you love."

Rumple sighed. He'd never cared about anyone's opinion of him but Belle and Baelfire. But that hadn't gotten him what he wanted. "How?" he asked. "I wouldn't even know where to begin."

"Well," Belle said thoughtfully. "You could start by giving people back their things. That pawnshop is filled with precious items given to you during the curse, things you've taken in deals. Give Snow White back her mother's necklace. Give Grumpy back his stein. Give Emma that silly unicorn mobile. It may not be much, but it's a start. I did a complete inventory of the shop for a reason, you know."

Rumple nodded, silently agreeing to Belle's request.

She reached out a hand, taking his in her own.

"What are you thinking?" she asked.

"I thought we could perhaps see Archie together," he replied. Belle had been so open with him when he was Mary, told him exactly what was in her heart without fear of upsetting him or leading him on. They needed to speak like that more often. Maybe therapy could help.

Belle's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"

He nodded. "I'm not strong enough to do this on my own, Belle. I need guidance and if the cricket can offer it, so be it."

She gave him a brilliant smile. "I'll set up an appointment with him tomorrow."

Rumple nodded again. This certainly wasn't how he thought his evening would go. Belle tugged on the hand she still had in her grasp, pulling him toward her.

"Hey," she said softly. "We're gonna get through this. We always do."

He wanted to believe it so badly, wanted to believe that they could finally be happy. But Belle was right when she said they were cursed. He literally was cursed though he hadn't seen it as such in some time.

"What are you thinking?" he repeated her question, as Belle's hand moved from his and up to pull on his lapel.

"You're actually going to go to therapy with me?" she asked. "You're committed to this family and putting us first? You're going to make an effort to smooth things over with everyone in town?"

"Yes," he agreed wholeheartedly. "Belle you've never been second best and I apologize for making you feel that way. The power is a part of me, it's true, but it's a tool only. You and Lucy, you're my life. Without you, the power is meaningless."

Belle tugged on his lapels, bringing them chest-to-chest.

"Then what I'm thinking is, it's been five months, Rumple, just kiss me."

So he did, cupping her cheek gently and bending to brush his lips against hers. Belle wasn't having that though, gripping on to his shoulders and kissing him back hard. She'd kissed him like this before, when she'd come back to him shortly after Hook's death, shortly after he'd taken back the power. Belle was jubilant when she kissed him then, so glad to have him back after months apart. And here they were in the same position again. But he swore this time would be the last. He'd had a secret then, now there was nothing hidden between them. Belle knew who he was, knew who he wanted to be, and they would get there together.

"I missed you so much," she murmured against his lips. "I always miss you so much."

"Never again," he promised, gripping her by the hips and steering her back toward the sofa. Belle's knees hit the sofa's edge and she fell back against it, pulling Rumple on top of her.

Belle pushed at his jacket, getting it off his shoulders until he could toss it to the floor. His waistcoat and tie followed in quick succession. All the while she never stopped kissing him. Her hands found their way into his hair, winding in the long strands that brushed against his collar.

"Missed your hair," she sighed dreamily, tugging at it lightly.

"Missed your arse," he growled back, kneading at the soft flesh of her backside. Belle giggled, shifting her hips up to give him more room and managing to grind herself against him in the process.

He let out a stuttered groan. "What are we doing, Belle?"

She raised her eyebrows at him. "I should think it was obvious."

"Are you sure?"

Belle nodded, running her hand through his hair again. "God, yes."

"Well, should we at least go to your bedroom?"

"Five months," she reminded him. "Here is fine."

"Yeah," he agreed, without a second thought.

He kissed her again, pulling her against the hard length of him in his trousers.

"Too many clothes," Belle gasped out, pulling at her blouse that was trapped between their bodies. He sat back to help her pull it off over her head, giving him a full view of the bra he'd glimpsed earlier.

"I can't believe you were trying to seduce Mary Poppins," he said a disbelieving voice.

Belle snorted. "I was trying to get you to own up," she shot back.

"Well I'll never look at Julie Andrews the same way, that's for certain," he smirked at her as she undid the buttons on his own shirt.

Belle threw her head back with a laugh so genuine and happy, he wanted to bottle it up and save it. He wanted Belle to always sound this happy. "Neither will I."

She pulled him back down on top of her once she'd managed to get his shirt off. It felt incredible to be skin to skin with Belle once again. Despite his hopefulness, despite the fact he kept her things exactly where she'd left them in their home, he never actually thought he'd be in this position again. Every time they reconciled, and after so many separations they'd become quite good at reconciliations, he swore it would be the last time such a thing would have to happen. But this time he honestly believed it.

Belle raked her hands down his naked chest, her thumbs brushing against his nipples and he bucked against her, his teeth clenched together and breathing hard through his nose. He wasn't going to last. He needed to be inside her now.

With that in mind, he scrabbled with his belt buckle, Belle's hands coming up to help him.

"Bloody stupid belt," he growled when their hands got tangled up in their haste. A second later he'd just magicked it away, the belt disappearing in a cloud of purple smoke.

"All magic has a price, Rumple," Belle said when she was suddenly wrestling with thin air.

"Then I'll bloody well pay it," he returned, dropping his head to kiss along the column of her throat.

Belle shimmied his pants down as he pulled her skirt up and a moment later he was pressed up against her slippery, wet heat with his trousers about his knees and her skirt around her rib cage. There was no time for gently undressing each other, lying between her legs and spending hours making her come. That could come later. Right now they just needed this, hard and fast.

He ran his fingers through her wetness, causing Belle to squirm and cry out.

"Five months," she reiterated. "I need you, just…oh!"

She cried out as he plunged into her, Belle's fingers gripping on to his shoulders so tightly he was sure she'd leave marks.

"Yes," Belle panted.

He pressed his forehead against hers, looking straight into her eyes as he withdrew and thrust back in.

"Fuck!" Belle moaned, and Rumple swallowed her curse with another kiss.

She felt amazing, better than anything. But more than sex he missed her, having her close, in his arms again. He could drown in her and be happy to do so.

"Harder," Belle managed to rasp out. "Please."

He picked up the pace, plunging into her with abandon. Belle was arching beneath him, crying out and scratching her nails down his back until she reached his backside, pulling him harder against her.

He wasn't going to last. As Belle had said, it had been five months, longer even, since they were together. He couldn't hope to last.

Luckily Belle seemed just as overwrought as he was. He wedged a hand between them, rubbing at her in the hopes that she would come. It took just a few quirks of his fingers, a pinch to her clit, before Belle was crying out, spasming around his cock. He followed her soon after, her body milking him for all he was worth.

He collapsed against her, planting kisses across her damp brow.

"I love you," he panted out. "Love you so much."

"I love you, too," Belle breathed.

They lay there in the cooling air, catching their breath. After a moment they discarded the rest of their clothes they hadn't managed to remove during their coupling and cuddled up together under the throw blanket on the back of the sofa.

"So what now?" Belle asked eventually. Rumple picked his head up from where it was cradled against her neck.

"I don't know," he admitted. "We haven't really solved anything."

"We will," Belle said in a soothing voice, smoothing his hair back from his brow.

They lay there for a long moment, just staring into each other's eyes. It was absolutely pathetic and if had been anyone else, Rumple would have called them a sympathetic fool. But he knew exactly where he stood with Belle. He would do anything for her, be anything for her. She and Lucy were his whole world.

Their peaceful reverie was interrupted by Belle sitting up on her elbows suddenly, slightly dislodging Rumple.

"Is something burning?" she asked, sniffing the air with her pert little nose.

"My lasagna!" Rumple exclaimed, pushing up off of Belle and making a mad dash, naked, to the kitchen.

He opened the oven, pulling out a black and smoking lasagna, dropping it down on the burner. The kitchen was suddenly filled with the stench of burning food, filling with acrid smoke.

"Well, I'm afraid dinner is ruined," Rumple intoned, waving his hand around to dispel the smoke.

A moment later the smoke detector released an ear splitting screech. Belle hopped up from the sofa, winding the throw blanket around herself.

"What did you do?" she shouted at Rumple, jamming her fingers in her ears.

"Well, we forgot about the lasagna," he shouted back. "Is Lucy actually sleeping through this?" The baby monitor on the side table had remained miraculously silent.

Belle just shrugged. "She's a good sleeper," she said as Rumple grabbed a kitchen chair, standing on it to prod at the smoke alarm until it finally quieted down.

They stood there for a moment, Belle staring at Rumple standing naked on a chair in the middle of the kitchen, and Rumple staring at Belle before the laughter bubbled up between them.

"This is pretty stereotypical," he admitted. "I'm sorry about dinner."

Belle just waved a hand. "We still have salad, don't we?"

Before Rumple could answer there was a sound of footsteps on the stairs outside. They both looked toward the door in trepidation.

Rumple had just enough time to hop off the chair and block his crotch with the potholder in his hand before Emma Swan came barreling in followed closely by her father.

"We heard alarms coming from the library," David said, directing his attention at Belle. "Is everything okay?" He sniffed the air. "Did you start a fire?"

Belle bit her lip. She had curled up on the sofa, the throw blanket tucked around her shoulders to cover her nakedness. Charming didn't seem to realize anything was amiss, but Emma was glancing around the apartment, taking in the trail of clothing next to the sofa, eyes following until they reached Rumple in the corner of the kitchen, still clutching the pot holder to his groin, which was not doing an adequate job at covering much of anything.

"Oh God," she said, making a show of looking away. "Okay, so you guys made up I take it."

She directed her statement to Belle, the safer, less naked, option.

"We're fine," Belle assured them. "Dinner was in the oven and we…got distracted."

Emma choked back a snort.

David was still looking back and forth between them. "I thought you were getting divorced," he said baldly.

"No," Rumple said, feeling increasingly self-conscious. He wished they'd just leave already. "We're not."

David's eyebrows raised, a half smile playing across his face.

"Good for you," he said with a nod in Rumple's general direction. He almost thought the other man looked proud.

"Well I'm sure Henry will be thrilled," Emma said a little too loudly to be normal. "But we'll let you get back to it." She winced at her word choice before grabbing her father's arm and steering him out the door.

Rumple dropped the potholder with a sigh.

"It's reassuring to know some things never change," he said.

Belle snorted out a laugh, burying her face in the sofa cushions.

"The first time we've been together in months and someone manages to walk in," she giggled out, the cushion muffling her words. "It's a wonder we ever managed to conceive a child."

Rumple couldn't keep in his own laugh at that.

"Well, we did," he answered, coming back to the sofa. "And she's awake," he added as a pitiful wail emitted from the baby monitor on the side table.

Belle picked up the monitor, checking in remotely on their daughter.

"I should check on her," she said reluctantly. "You'll still be here when I get back?"

Rumple smiled. "Where else would I possibly be? I owe you five months of orgasms."

Belle stood, pressing a kiss against his lips. "I'll hold you to that."

She scurried off down the hall, the throw blanket still wound around her form. Rumple leaned back against the couch, surveying the array of clothing spread around the living room. This was much too small an apartment for Belle and Lucy. Tomorrow he'd see about getting her to move back home. But for now, he was happy. He'd made love to Belle. He was spending the night under the same roof as his wife and child for the first time in months.

God bless Mary Poppins.


End file.
